You're still a prat!
by merlinandfreyaFTW
Summary: Merlin has given Arthur a decision...which path will he take? Sequel to You're a prat! BUT it can be read as a stand alone. One shot. Drama, angst, friendship, Modern AU!, it's all there. Even some snippets of humor. Prompt by Falafalafa Pancakes.


_A/n requested by Falafalafa Pancakes. Please enjoy :) ALSO: There **WILL** be a multi-chapter sequel about the events that led up to this and what happens after this in the near future. If you would like to know when, please say so in a review. _

"You doing okay there, Will?"

"If by okay you mean kicking your butt, then yeah, I'm doing pretty okay."

Merlin smiled. "We'll see about that!" He pressed a few buttons, and immediately beat Will in the videogame they were playing.

"Oh, man!"

Merlin always loved it when his cousin Will came over. When he wasn't beating him in video games, the two were pretty nice to each other. Of course, Will was no substitute for Arthur. Even though the two were both pretty alike (pessimistic, hot headed, and loyal) they had never gotten on very well. They simply pretended to be nice to each other for Merlin's sake.

"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?" Will asked. It was more of a statement than a question. Merlin sighed; it was true. He was missing his best friend, and there was no point in denying it.

Arthur had changed when they'd started going to high school, and they never hung out any more. Two months ago, when Arthur had actually tried to push him in to a dumpster to impress his new cool 'friends', Merlin had given him an ultimatum: either he turned back to who he was before, or he lost his best friend. Merlin had actually been hoping that Arthur would change back to who he was, but it had been two months now and Merlin had almost given up hope. Almost.

"If I've told you once, I've told you again that that Pendragon kid is no good for you," said Will. "Does he even talk to you anymore?"

Downstairs Merlin heard his mom greeting someone, sounding a little surprised. Maybe it was his Aunt Nimueh. He hadn't seen her in a long time, which wasn't necessarily a very bad thing at all. Merlin shuddered as he thought about the last time she had come over, and had pulled his cheeks until they were raw. He hoped it was Uncle Gaius instead.

He could hear the person coming up the stairs and stop outside his door, as if hesitant to step inside his room. Merlin was about to go outside to see who it was, but then Will snorted in derision.

"Pendragon," he sneered. "What kind of a name is that anyway?"

Merlin was fed up. He was almost about to agree with Will, but then he spotted the photo he had above his wardrobe. It was of him and Arthur last summer, at the beach where they had been fooling around the entire day. Merlin had stuck two fingers up above Arthur's head-a running joke about how Arthur had been given the part of a _donkey _in their school play. He had the ears and everything. Merlin had never been more excited than in rehearsal when he had gotten to see Arthur Pendragon, King of Prats, _bray_. Merlin had always said he was an ass.

They looked like two young, carefree boys without a care in the world. No peer pressure pressing down on them to seem 'cool', or demanding them to change who they were. But if Arthur could be that boy before, he could be him again. And then Merlin did something he had never done before. He stood up to his cousin. Never mind the fact that there was someone at his bedroom door, hearing everything he would say. This had to be dealt with. Now.

"His _name _is Arthur," Merlin turned to away from the picture and back to Will. "And he's my _best friend_. I know that you don't like the fact that he comes from a rich family, but through all our years of friendship you've never _once _given him a chance. Not once."

Will was about to butt in, but Merlin cut him off, anger taking over him. "I _know _that you're just being a good cousin and looking out for me, but this is my decision, not yours. And after all our years of friendship, I can't give up on the prat-"

"Well gee, thanks Merlin," Arthur said loudly, walking into the room and then chuckling at the other two boys' wide eyes. Then he nervously looked Merlin in the eyes. "So you still think I'm a prat?"

Merlin's shock seemed to fade and he smiled, trying not to (and failing) give Will an 'I told you so' look. "You didn't let me finish," he beamed. "You're still a prat…but you're my best friend."

Arthur grinned, and walked over to flop on to the bed. "Okay, enough of this mushy junk. What exactly are we doing over here?"

"Well, I'm just having some fun at creaming Will at video games," said Merlin, reaching over to hand Arthur a packet of Doritos. "Here, you can't have fun without junk food."

Arthur opened the packet and smiled as the Tangy Cheese smell hit him. "True that," he agreed, accepting a controller and nodding wisely. But then he gave Merlin a shove. "But I'm going to have more fun showing you whose boss in World of Warcraft."

Merlin's shout of 'Bring it on!' caused Will to shake his head. Those two. Would they ever grow up?


End file.
